Representatives of several federal and state agencies (including Aaron Everett, Washington State Forester, DNR) sign an agreement for coordinating landowner assistance services. Photo: Washington State Conservation Commission
Woodland and family forest land owners of Washington State will get better coordinated service to help improve their conservation and management under a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by state and federal agencies.
Help answering technical questions about forestry, education and planning opportunities, and incentives to enhance economic value or improve environmental performance are available through an array of state and federal programs. These programs help forest owners plan for the future and prevent forest loss, protect their property against wildfire and forest health hazards, grow better wildlife habitat, protect clean water and restore salmon runs.
As public budgets tighten, it’s important that these opportunities are closely coordinated to maximize public benefits. But because these forms of assistance come from many different sources and agencies, it can be confusing to know where to start. For example, having a written management plan is almost always required as a condition to receive incentive program benefits, but until now different agencies had different standards for what plans must contain. This agreement aligns those standards, so that one plan works for all.
Forest and woodland property owners learn more about forestry at a Forest Owners Field Day in Jefferson County. Photo: Washington State University Extension.
The agencies and signatories working together on the Washington State agreement include:
- Washington State Department of Natural Resources (Aaron Everett, State Forester)
- Washington Association of Conservation Districts (Dave Guenther, President)
- Washington State University Extension (Randy Baldree, Associate Director)
- Washington State Conservation Commission (Fred Colvin, Chair)
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (Roylene Rides at the Door, Washington State Conservationist)
- US Forest Service (Peg Polichio, Director of State & Private Forestry, Pacific NW Region)
The newly signed Washington State MOU mirrors a national-level collaboration agreement among many of the same parties, who participate in an organization called the Joint Forestry Team.
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Tags: DNR, forest, forestry, Washington
